BROKEN PIECES.

CHAPTER 12 | TEARS.

I slept really hurt yesterday because I didn’t hear from my supposedly boyfriend. I don’t know how could thato forget my birthday like that. The one person I was hoping will  make my birthday the best one I’ve ever had since I left the orphanage. I hope he has a good explanation as to why he forgot my birthday. We are in our way to Newcastle. I’ve got my air pods on and I’m listening to the SD card that phumla have me as a present. It has different kinds of music playing and I love it. He downloaded many albums for me and made me a playlist.
It’s my first time traveling outside Secunda. I am so excited that I’m going to see Newcastle and of course thato. I hope he will be happy to see me too but another part of me is scared that he won’t like the surprise. Aunty Natasha is really the best. She’s doing all of this for me and I don’t know how I will be able to ever repay her for the things she has done for me but I know one day I will.
When we come back I want to talk to her about helping me register at college. I could ask Portia cause she’s the one who said she can help me but then the tension between aunty Natasha and her is going to make things difficult but I will tell aunty Natasha that Portia also wanted to help me and maybe she’ll agree.
“ girls we are here ” she says excited. I look at the time and it’s 10 am.. We left really cause she wanted me to wake thato up and surprise him.
We see a board that says “ Welcome to Newcastle. KwaZulu-Natal.” Thando and I look at each other and we are so excited. She’s sitting in the front and I’m in the back cause I didn’t want aunty Natasha to ask me whom I’m talking to on WhatsApp. We drive through town and it’s busy. There are so many and cars, taxi’s like it’s chaotic. Aunty continues to drive and we see Majuba Mall. It looks big but not that big like the one is Secunda.
“ We’ll come and have lunch here. My parents are going to love you guys. ” we smile.
“ What are you going to say when they ask you who we are? ” thando asks her.
“ I’ll say you’re my friends kids and that’s friend.” She says smiling..
“ I like that. ” I say.
We leave town and she takes a road that leads to the location I think. She drives and we pass many houses. She shows us Majuba FET College. She continues to drive until she stops outside this beautiful big double story house and it has a big yard. There are cars inside as we see through the gate. The gate opens and she drives in and parks the car and in the yard there are a three taxis parked.
“ wow aunty your family is rich neh? ” thando says and aunty laughs.
“ come on guys ” she says stepping out of the car. Aunty Natasha I think is the rich aunty in the family. I don’t if it’s because of her family’s money, her money or maybe the money that’s dad gives her of he does.
We follow her as she walks to the house and opens the door. We get in and my god. The inside is as money as the outside. We pass the living and dining room and it looks like no one has ever sat in there since they bought the furniture. That’s how new and beautiful it is. We pass many bedrooms then we finally get to the kitchen.
They are having breakfast. An older man who I assume is aunty father sees her first and he frowns then smiles. Her mother looks up and sees her then she smiles too. The are other two women and men. The same men that came to take thato. Aunty goes to her parents and hugs them kissing their cheeks.
“ good morning everyone ” aunty says. Her brothers are looking at us, me especially and I look down. I feel so awkward. We greet them too.
“ What did we do to have you come home? ” her mom asks sweetly.
“ I came cause I missed my family Mamie.” She says.
“ And who are these two beautiful girls? ”
“ why did you bring her here? ” one of her brothers asks.
“ Fana that’s rude. Come girls sit down. ” aunty says.
“ they are my friends kids mamie and that’s friends. This is thando the one with big smile on her face. And the other is Jabu who’s shy. ” she says and chuckles. We sit down next her.
“ beautiful girls. Thato is going to be happy to see that his friends came all the way to just see him. You two are really good friends to him” his grandmother says. One of the woman pours us juice and we thank her.
“ Girls these are my parents. Mr and Mrs kubheka. This is my brother Fana and his wife Nolitha and my other brother Duma and his wife Thobile.” We politely nod.
“ where is thato? ” aunty asks.
“ he’s sleeping. He came back I think at 5 am drunk. That boy is going to be the death of me.” His grandmother says shaking her head.
“ he’s going to wake up soon though.”  His uncle Fana says amused.
“ come girls let me show you around the house and outside ”
We follow her as she shows us all the bedrooms in the house although we don’t get inside them but we do in hers and it’s glamorous like her. We go outside and there’s a pool and braai area. This house is really beautiful and the rooms outside match the entire house.
We are still admiring the house when one of the rooms opens and a beautiful girl first comes out then thato comes out too in his boxers. They don’t see us. He pulls her to him and kisses her like how he would kiss me. Aunty Natasha takes my hand and pulls me back so thato won’t see us. We watch them as they walk hand in hand until they are at the gate where he kisses her grabbing her ass. The girl giggles.
“ I’ll come and collect you when I’m done. ” thato says to the girl.
“ I’ll be waiting.” She says.
“ you better be with your ass.” He chuckles.
“ you love me and this crazy ass.” She says.
“ You know I do love you baby. Later ” he steals another kiss from her then leaves.
Thato walks back to his room smiling and shaking his head.
“ Hey Jabu I’m so sorry you had to see this. I didn’t know that this will happen or was happening ” aunty says.
“ that pig. He’s cheating on you again! ” thando says disgusted. I wipe my tears. Now I know why he forgot my birthday and wasn’t answering my calls. He was with her.
“ can we go back home? ” I ask aunty Natasha.
“ Are you sure? Don’t you want to talk to him and ask him? ”
“ no aunty. I saw what I saw. It doesn’t matter now ”
“ Ok take a few minutes before you come back in the house. I don’t want them to see you upset.” I nod.
“ I’ll stay here with her ” aunty nods and walks to the house.
We walk too and sit outside the living room stoep.
“ I can’t believe thato. I wonder how many girlfriends he has here too.”
“ I’m so hurt thando ” I sniff.
“ I can’t believe I was mad at you for accepting phumla's gift. I’m glad you did cause that lying ass cheater doesn’t deserve you! ”
“ this is what happens when you show up uninvited. You saw what you wanted to see girlie now deal with it!. ” uncle Fana says then gets in his quantum and drives out.
“ don’t mind him. He’s just old and bitter ” thando though. “ what are you going to do now? ”
“ I have to break up with him and we have to find a place to stay. We can’t stay with his aunt after we break up. ”
“ why not? ”
“ It’s his family thando. We live there because of him. He won’t allow us to live there after we break up. It’s wrong. ”
“ I hate this! ”
“ I’m sorry. ”
“ it’s not your fault jabs. It’s his. ”
“ one day I’m going to buy a house of my own and no one is going to tell us to leave or kick us out. We will never feel like this again. We will have a home of our own thando. I promise you.” I say sniffing.
“ I promise you too that I’ll always be there for you. We will suffer together until we succeed.” We thread our hands. I will my tears and we just sit like that.
My phone rings. I take it out of my jeans and it’s thato. Why is he calling me now?. I look at thando and she’s as surprised as me. It rings again then I put it on silent.
“ Let’s go in the house and ask aunty if we can leave before he sees us. ” I nod.
We go back to the house and sit down.
“ We’re you crying Sisi? ” his grandmother asks me.
“ I was gogo. Thando was making me laugh so hard gogo that’s all.” She looks at me and nods.  I look at aunty and she nods.
“ I’m going to take the girls to the mall for a while mamie before we leave.”
“ but they haven’t… Oh here he is. Thato you’re friends are here to see you. You almost missed them because you like waking up late.” His grandmother says smiling.
“ Uhm good morning. Aunty?... When did you arrive? ” he says clearing his throat.
“ we came while you were sleeping. I showed the girls around the house and outside then left them there. They just came in a few minutes ago.” Aunty says sarcastically. “ Jabu came in looking like she was crying but she said that do was making her laugh very loud. Didn’t you hear them outside? ” I can feel that’s eyes in my head.
“ Uhm… . No.. I guess it was when I showering ” he sits down. His other uncle snakes his head and leaves the kitchen. I don’t know where his grandfather went.
“ Your aunt was going to take the girls to the mall. Why don’t you take them instead and have breakfast? ” his grandmother suggests.
“ I think that’s a good idea ma. Here are my keys. Take my car.” He takes them “ you have money right? I mean you were drinking last night ” aunty says.
“ I have money aunty.  Uhm let’s go guys ”
“ Why do you look like you’re not happy to see your friends thato? ” his grandmother asks him
“ I am gogo. It’s just that I have hangover. Let’s go guys.  ” he says. Thando gets up and I follow them behind. I. Don’t want to go anywhere with him cause deep down I know he’s not going to take us to the mall.
Thando takes the front seat and I go in the back. He looks at me then stares at thando and she stares back. He drives out of the yard.
“ Don’t you have anything to say to her? ”
“ not now thando ” he says.
“ When then? Why do you like hurting my sister like thato?. Do you enjoy seeing her crying huh?. You cheated on her in Secunda with many girls and you’ve been cheating on her every time you came here with that girl!.”
“ This is none of your business thando. Stay out of it. ” I take my air pods and out them in and turn the volume high.
Surprisingly he really does take us to the mall. He takes us to Spur and we sit down. He’s sitting across from me and watching me typing on my phone. Thanking everyone for the birthday wishes they posted on my Facebook wall. I take off my air pods when a waitress comes to take our orders then leaves.
“ Jabu? ” I look at him. “ Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? ”
“ You would have known had your phone not been on voicemail the whole of yesterday. You hardly call me even when you see my messages and now I know why. ”
“ it’s not like that.” He says.
“ Like what? Like you don’t love her and her ass? ” I say.
“ it was a one time thing I swear. ” he lies again.
“ yeah right. I don’t care thato. I really don’t anymore.”
“ What does that mean? ” his voice changes.
“ It means that you forgot her birthday yesterday because you were out with some chick instead of being there for your girlfriend. You are the worst boyfriend ever wena thato and you don’t deserve jabs.” He looks at me shocked.
“ Baby I’m sorry… I don’t know how I forgot your birthday! ” he tries to take my hand but I move it under the table.
“ don’t touch me! ”
“ Oh Hey baby ” a voice says behind us. Thando and I turn and we see the girl who was with thato earlier this morning.
She looks beautiful and she’s wearing expensive clothes. You can just tell. She comes to our table with three of her friends I think. When thato sees her his face goes pale. She sits next to him and kisses him on the mouth. One of her friend sits next to us and the other next to thato's girlfriend. I don’t want to be here anymore.
“ what are you doing here? ” that asks her.
“ your grandmother said you came here with your friends to show them around. Are you not going to introduce us or well I don’t mind. You know I’m very forward. ”
“ hi. Thato's grandmother said you two are friends of thato and you came to see him. How sweet of you. Oh here I go again talking before I introduce myself. I am Bonisiwe thato’s girlfriend but you can call me Boni and you must be Jabu and thando right? ” I nod.
“ yes we are.. So how long have you two been together? ” thando asks her. My eyes are on thato and his are on me. I feel total betrayal right now.
“ Thando?! Don’t answer her. ” thato says.
“ Why? She’s your friend and wants to know. You know I’m hurt that you didn’t tell them about me thato. Really?. ” she takes his glass and drinks from it leaving her lipstick mark on it. “ we have been together officially since we were 14 but we have always known each other since we were little. Our families do business together and they are close. So us being together made sense.” She says smiling.
thato has been cheating on her with me. He took my virginity knowing very well that he has a girlfriend he lives and lied to my face and said I’m the only one?. How could he betray me like this?!. I know I gave to him and I wanted to but why couldn’t he be honest with me and tell me that he is seeing someone else too.
“ That’s great Boni.” She smiles. “ So thato has been your only boyfriend? ” I ask her.
“ the one and only and I’m saving myself for our wedding day. That’s how much my man loves me. Babe did you tell them that we are going to University together? ” she giggles.  I feel tears forming in my eyes but I fight them back. My whole world just crumbles.
They are going to the same university together. She’s a virgin still but spends nights with him or was it only that night? And what am I to him?. His plaything?. The girl he felt sorry for?. How can I be so stupid I mean thato is a 18 year old boy and of course he’s going to have girlfriends, lie and do things but this is too much for me.
“ uhm excuse me. I’m going to the loo.” I quickly get up and ask the Waitress where the toilets are and she shows me.
I hurry to it, get inside the first door I find open then throw up until nothing is left.
“ I’m sorry jabs. Thato is really a dog.” She says.
I flush the toilet then get up. I go to the sink and rinse my mouth with water and splash some on my face and wipe it with paper towels.
“ I want to leave thando.”.
“ Yeah I want to leave too. I wish we didn’t come here.” She says. “ let’s go.”  We leave the bathroom and thato and his girlfriend are talking but it looks like they are close to fighting.
“ we are ready to go home. ” thando says.
Thato gets up and places the money on the table. They both get up and we all leave. The waitress tries to call us so we can take takeaways but we don’t pay any attention to her but boni's friends go back to eat the food. The four of us walk to the car and thando and I get in the backseat and the love birds take the front seats and we leave.
He drops off Boni outside her house and she’s not happy.
“ Why are you dropping me  at my house thato?. I thought we were all going to your house? ”
“ you’re not coming with.” Boni looks at him shocked then steps outside the car and closes the door hard. Thato sighs and drives off for like 10 minutes then stops outside this house.
“ What are we doing here? ”  thando asks.
“ I need to talk to jabs alone. You will stay here I’m the car until we are back. ”
“ I am not going anywhere with you thato! Take me to aunty Natasha.”  I breakdown and cry.
“ let me explain please! ”
“ Explain your lies to me? Your one time thing has been your girlfriend for years. You cheated on her with me. You lied to me thato and I trusted you!.”
“ I know I messed up Jabu but that doesn’t mean I don’t love you cause I do.”
“ Really? You love me thato? I asked you not to hurt me and that is exactly what you did. You love me so much you forgot my birthday, you don’t talk to me and you lied to my face every single time!. I gave you my virginity thato and she gets to keep hers! ”
“ It’s not like I forced you to sleep with me. You wanted it to happen too! ”  thando gasps.
“ and I regret it!. I wish I didn’t give you my virginity! ” I burst into tears and hide my face on thando’s lap.
“ you are dog thato! I hope that Boni girl breaks your heart and leaves you for your best friend! I hate you! ” thando says screaming at him. She takes her phone out.
“ who the hell are you calling thando! ”
“ aunty Natasha to come and get us! ” she shouts at him.
“ I’ll fucken take you home!. There’s no need to call her!. Jabu I’m sorry for saying that.. I didn’t mean for it to come out that way. I know I lied about Boni but my feelings for you are real. I do love you. ”
“ stop talking to her and drive! ”
I feel the car moving. I can’t stop crying and I wish I did. The car stops I don’t know after how long cause the drive felt like it’s taking forever. I wipe my years and look up. We are back at his grandparents house and there’s another car in there. The same one that looks like his parents car. He steps outside and we remain in the car.
“ Oh my god thando his parents are here! ”
“ his mom is going to freak out! ” she says. We look at each other scared.
“ are you not coming in the house? ” thato asks.
“ not with your mother in there! ” thando says.
“ She won’t do anything. My grandmother is here she’s sort her out.. Come please and baby please don’t cry.”
“ We’ll stay here in the car thank you. Please call aunty Natasha and tell her we are ready to leave.” He looks at me.
“ I don’t want you to leave like this Jabu. Please let’s go and talk. Just the two of us ”
“ so you can threaten me about leaving you?. So you can threaten to kill me if I leave you like how you promised to if I cheat on you? ” he keeps quiet. “ I want nothing to do with you thato! Ever! ”
“ How’s that going to be possible when you live at my aunts house?. If you really are dumping me then I suggest you pack your bags and leave her house cause you live there because of me.” I knew he was going to say that.
“ We will leave with pleasure thato and that won’t change what a fucken scumbag you are! ”
“ You don’t want to find yourself in worse places than where you used to live Jabu. If I were you. I’d think carefully. ” he says then walks in the house.
“ I cannot believe I though thato was a nice guy. I’m so sorry jabs.”
“ Do you still have the money I gave you for matric dance?
“ I still have it. I knew we were going to need it one day.”
“ we have to get a room we will rent tomorrow.”
“ maybe Natasha won’t kick us out jabs.”
“ Even if she doesn’t thando. We can’t.”